Adjustable television antenna and support therefor



Oct. 4, 1966 c. B. ROEBKEN 3,277,492

ADJUSTABLE TELEVISION ANTENNA AND SUPPORT THEREFOR Filed Nov. 20, 1964 2Sheets-Sheet l Carl B. Roebken ATTYJ- Oct. 4, 1966 c. B. ROEBKEN3,277,492

ADJUSTABLE TELEVISION ANTENNA AND SUPPORT THEREFOR Filed Nov. 20, 1964 2Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR CAQL B. EO-EBKEH BY %-JM hf w ATTORNEYS UnitedStates Patent 3,277,492 ADJUSTABLE TELEVISION ANTENNA AND SUPPORTTHEREFOR Carl B. Roebken, 1202 Jefferson St. NW., Washington, D.C. FiledNov. 20, 1964, Ser. No. 416,182 1 Claim. (Cl. 343-823) This inventionrelates generally to improvements in antenna units for receivingtelevision signals and is directed particularly to a new and novelantenna construction designed for indoor use.

This application is a continuation-in-part of my application Serial No.211,943, filed July 17, 1962, for Adjustable Television A-ntenna andSupport Therefor, now abandoned, and which was in turn acontinuation-in-part of my prior application Serial No. 473,932 forAdjustable Television Antenna, filed December 8, 1954, now abandoned.

It is generally conceded that antennas designed for receiving bothbroadcast and television signals, function most efiiciently when outsidea building and when located at a substantial elevation.

Antennas intended for outdoor use have been designed in many differentforms and in the installation of the same the customary practice is toset up the antenna on the roof of a building or in some other elevatedlocation and in this operation the antenna is customarily shifted orturned or otherwise set or placed until a position is reached at whichthe signal or signals come in with the greatest strength, after whichthe antenna is fixed against further movement When so fixed the antennafunctions to collect or pick up electric signal impulses coming from aparticular direction, in greater strength than signals or impulsescoming from other directions.

In the light of the foregoing it is a particular object of the presentinvention to provide a new and novel type of adjustable antenna designedfor indoor use and so constructed as to function will all the efficiencyof the conventional or commoner types of antennas such as the straightand folded dipole antennas and the like.

Another object of the invention is to provide a long range or longdistance antenna designed particularly for rural use wherein the noveldesign gives to it characteristics whereby signals from relatively greatdistances can be picked up even though the antenna structure is designedsolely for indoor use.

More specifically the present invention has for an object to provide anew and novel antenna structure of a relatively high degree ofefficiency combined with small size whereby the structure can be placedin the room in which the television receiving apparatus is located, uponsuch apparatus or upon any other suitable support.

The invention will be best understood from a consideration of thefollowing detailed description taken in connection with the accompanyingdrawings forming a part of the specification, with the understandingthat the invention is not confined to a strict conformity with theshowing of the drawings but may be changed or modified so long as suchchanges or modifications mark no material departure from the scope ofthe appended claim.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a view in side elevation of an adjustable antenna structureconstructed in accordance with the present invention, the extensiblepoles forming a part thereof being collapsed to minimum length andhidden from view.

FIG. 2 is a bottom plan view of the structure showing the parallelextensible or telescoping collector poles reduced to minimum length.

FIG. 3 is a sectional view taken substantially on the line 3-3 of FIG. 1and on an enlarged scale, showing details of construction, portions ofthe globes being in elevation.

FIG. 4 is a sectional view taken transversely of the structuresubstantially on the line 44 of FIG. 1.

FIG. 5 is a sectional view taken transversely of the base structuresubstantially on the line 5-5 of FIG. 1.

FIG. 6 is a detailed view, in perspective, looking at the underside ofthe base structure and at one end showing the partial extension of oneof the collector poles.

FIG. 7 is a view in perspective of a modified construction of theinvention in combination with a novel supporting structure therefor.

FIG. 8 is a horizontal section substantially on the line 8-8 of FIG. 7and looking upwardly toward the underside of the top portion of thesupporting band or structure and of the antenna structure.

FIG. 9 is a partial section taken substantially on the line 99 of FIG.8.

Referring now more particularly to the drawings, the numeral 10generally designates the base member for the antenna structure. The basemember is here shown as comprising a suitable length of insulationmaterial of suitable character, such as wood, fiber, fiber glass,plastic, such as polyethylene, hard rubber, the insulation materialpopularly known as Bakelite, glass or any other material havinginsulating qualities.

The insulation body 12 forming a part of the base structure is, as mostclearly shown in FIGS. 4, 5 and 6 of rectangular cross section and inuse, has the wide faces thereof horizontally disposed thereby providingthe top face or surface 14 and the bottom face or surface 16.

.The bottom face 16 of the body 12 has thereon and extending throughoutthe length thereof, adjacent to each side edge, a strip 18 which ispreferably of sponge rubber or some other suitable soft material andwhich provides the spaced parallel supporting flanges of non-scratchingmaterial which rest upon the top of the radio or television cabinet orany other surface upon which the antenna may be placed. These flanges orstrips 18 also will provide between them the longitudinal downwardlyopening channel 20 in which the hereinafter described elements of theantenna structure are positioned.

While the illlustration and description designate a base structurehaving the body part 12 of one type of material and the strips 18 ofanother type of material, such as sponge rubber or the like, the entirebase member may be made or formed by the process of extrusion where theselected material, such as polyethylene plastic or other plastic, is ofa nature to permit its formation in this manner.

At approximately the center of the elongate body 12, one side of thebody has formed therein the short transversely directed passage 21 whichat its inner end terminates in the downwardly directed portion 22 whichopens into the channel 20 as best seen in FIG. 4 and the purpose ofwhich passage will be hereinafter set forth.

Disposed within the channel 20 are the two spaced parallel elongatecollector poles 23 and 24. Each of these collector poles comprises thetelescopically associated elements 25, 26 and 27, the element 25 beingtubular and having the element 26 slidably extended thereinto from oneend and the element 26 also being tubular and having slidably extendedthereinto the third element 27 which may be tubular or a solid metal baras may be desired. As shown these collector poles 23 and 24 are disposedin spaced parallel relation each adjacent to the inner side of one ofthe strips or flanges 1-8 and is secured against the under face 16 ofthe body 12 in a suitable manner as, for example, by the use of thestaples 28 illustrated in FIG. 5.

It will also be seen that the collector poles 23 and 24 are in reversedrelation one with the other by which is meant that the slidable sections26 and 27 of one pole are at the end of the tubular element 25 thereofopposite from the end of the tubular element 25 of the other pole fromwhich the extensible elements 26 and 27 project.

As will be readily apparent when the telescoping collector poles 23 and24 are fully telescoped or reduced to minimum length they will belocated entirely within the channel 20 between the ends thereof, but thelength of each of the collector poles may be increased or extended aswill be readily apparent particularly upon reference to FIG. 6 where theelements 26 and 27 of one collector pole are shown partly drawn out. Bylengthening or shortening these collector poles the signalcharacteristics of the antenna structure will be changed as is wellunderstood by those versed in the art.

Mounted upon the top surface 14 of the body 12 adjacent to the ends ofthe body are upstanding signal impulse gathering or collecting unitsdesignated 20 and 30, each of which is electrically connected, in themanner hereinafter set forth, with one of the extensible poles 23 or 24.

Each of the top collector units 29 and 30 comprises a helix or spiral,generally designated 31, of wire of suitable weight, which standsupright from the top of the body 12 and has a portion of the bottomconvolution 32 bent to extend downwardly as indicated at 34, through apassage 35 in the body 12 and this downwardly extending portion 34 isthen turned laterally as indicated at 36 and is electrically connectedto that end of the adjacent tubular portion of a pole 24 or 25, which isopposite from the telescoped or extensible portions 26 and 27 thereof,as is clearly shown in FIG. 2.

The upper convolution 37 of the helix 31 is extended into the straightarm portion 38 which is directed toward the opposite collector ortowards the transverse center of the antenna structure and iselectrically connected to globular collectors arranged in the mannerabout to be described.

At the inner side of each of the wire coils 31 are two superposed metalcollector globes 39 and 40. These globes are hollow and are formed of asuitable thin metal such as aluminum, copper or the like and interposedbetween the two superposed globes is a metal block 41.

Extending axially through the superposed globes 39 and 40 of each of theupper collector units 39 and 40 is a tie-bolt or rod 42, the lower endof which passes through an opening 43 in the body 12 and has a nut 44threaded thereon and located in the recess 45 formed in the underside ofthe body. This tie-rod 42 also passes through the metal spacer block 41located between the globes and projects at its top end beyond the top ofthe uppermost globe and has threadably secured thereon the metal knob orhead 46. This head bears down upon the top of the uppermost globe 39 anddraws the globes and the interposed block 41 tightly together.

The block 41 has a passage 4 1a therethrough for the reception of thetie-bolt or rod 42 and also formed through the spacer block to one sideof the passage 41a and at right angles thereto, is a passage 47 throughwhich extends the straight upper end port-ion of the adjacent helix orcoil 31. Each metal spacer block 41 is also drilled and tapped at theproper location to receive a set screw 48 which projects into theadjacent passage 47 for binding engagement with the horizontal portion38 of the adjacent coil to secure and electrically connect the partstogether.

The collector globes 39 and 40 are preferably longitudinally grooved,the grooves being relatively closely placed and the portions between thegrooves being outwardly bowed or rounded whereby the effectivecollecting surface area becomes relatively large as compared with aglobe of approximately the same size where the wall surface may besmooth. However, a smooth surfaced globe or a non-grooved or non-flutedwall may be employed if desired.

The tie-bolts or rods 42 may be formed of any suitable material,preference being had for a plastic rod of the synthetic known under thetrade name Plexiglas which is a thermal plastic polytmethylmethacrylate), or a metal such as aluminum or other suitable material.

The numeral 49 designates a portion of a conventional signal lead-incable of the type commonly used in connection with television receiversand embodying the two spaced parallel wires 50. An end of this cable 49is extended into the passage 21 in the base body 12 in the manner shownin FIG. 4 and the ends of the wires 50 are each electrically connectedin a suitable manner as, for example, by means of the nut and boltassemblies 51 shown in FIG. 4 to the outer tubular portion 25 of anextensible collector pole 23 or 24 as is shown in FIG. 2. Thus it willbe seen that each of the top collector units 29 or 30 is electricallyconnected through the coils forming a part thereof with one of thecollector poles or units 23 or 24 located upon the underside of the basebody 12.

While there has been illustrated in FIG. 4 a nut and bolt assembly 51 inwhich the bolt is shown extending through the outer tubular element 25of the pole it will be readily understood that any other means may beemployed for connecting the wire ends 50 to these poles as by solderingor welding and in this case the inserted telescoping portions, orelements 26 and 27 may be made of materially greater length,approximately equalling the length of the outer elements 25, as will bereadily seen.

FIGS. 7, 8 and 9 illustrate the other embodiment of the inventiontogether with a novel supporting structure with which either of theembodiments of the antenna is designed to be used.

In the second form or embodiment of the antenna structure, which isgenerally designated 110, the base 112 comprises a relatively long bodyformed of one of the materials having electrical insulating propertiesas hereinbefore specified.

The base body has the relatively flat top 114 and upon the undersidethere are secured in longitudinally extended parallel spaced relationthe strips 118 of a suitable soft material such as sponge rubber or thelike or the body may be extruded, as before stated. There is,accordingly, formed between the strips of material the channel space 120which extends longitudinally of the base as shown in FIG. 8.

Adjacent to the transverse center of the body 114 there is formed thetransversely directed passage 121 which, at its inner end, terminates inthe downwardly opening recess 122, located between the strips 118 or, inother words, in the channel 120. Located within the channel andextending lengthwise thereof are the two spaced parallel, elongateelectric current or wave collectors 123 and 124. These, like thecollectors 23 and 24 hereinbefore described, are made up oftelescopically associated elements 125, 126 and 127 whereby the lengthof the collectors or antenna poles 123 and 124 may be changed asrequired.

The collector poles 123 and 124 are secured within the channel space 120by suitable means such, for example, as staples 128 and the collectorpoles lie above the plane of the bottom surfaces of the strips 118, asis clearly shown in FIG. 9, whereby when the antenna structure is placedupon a supporting body such as a table surface or the like or thehereinafter described stand or support shown in FIG. 7, the poles willnot contact the underlying surface.

The collector poles in this modified construction, have flattened innerend portions 123a and 124a, which are positioned or located adjacent tothe opening 122 and are secured to the base by suitable means such asscrews a which additionally function as wire securing terminals.

The numerals 129 and 130 generally designate signal impulse gathering orcollector units, each of which is electrically connected, as hereinafterset forth, with an inner end of one of the collector poles 123 or 124.

Each collector unit embodies in its structure an upstanding helix orspiral, generally designated 131, of wire of suitable Weight, and theseunits 129, 130 and 131 stand.

upright upon the top surface 114 of the base body 112 as shown.

The bottom convolution 132 of each of the spirals has a downwardlyextending portion 134 which passes through a passage 135 in the base andcontinues in the long portion 136, in the passage 120 to and is securedby one terminal screw 125a as is clearly shown in FIGS. 8 and 9.Accordingly the bottom end of each spiral is electrically connected withan end of one of the collector poles 123 or 124.

The collector units 129 and 130 each comprises two hollow metal bodies139. These hollow metal bodies are substantially globoid or morespecifically are of ellipsoidal form and are positioned with their longaxes vertically as shown so that the long axes of each pair of bodies139 are aligned. In other words, each pair of bodies 139 has a commonvertical long axis and the two bodies of each pair are positioned oneupon the other as shown in FIGS. 7 and 9, the bodies being flattened attheir ends as indicated at 140.

The flattened ends of the two bodies of each pair have openings 140atherethrough and there are interposed between the adjacent ends of eachpair of bodies, the two metal washers or separators 141.

Extending through and on the long axis of the superposed ellipsoidalbodies 139 of each pair, is the long securing bolt 142 of fiber, metalor plastic, the lower end of which passes through an opening 143 in thebase body 112. The bottom end of the bolt 142 is screw threaded as shownand it has threaded thereon, upon the underside of the base body, thesecuring nut 144, which is located in a suitable recess 145 in the body112.

The top end of the bolt 142 of each pair of bodies 139, likewise hasthreaded thereon the securing nut 146. Thus the two bodies can be drawntightly together in their vertical end to end assembly.

As best illustrated in FIG. 9, the top end or top convolution of eachcoil is extended into the straight terminal part 138 which part islocated between and is in electrical connection with the metal washers141 of the adjacent pair of collector bodies 139.

It will be seen from the foregoing that each pair of the ellipsoidalhollow metal collector bodies 139 is electrically connected to andthrough the adjacent coil 131, with an end of one of the extensiblecollector rods 123 or 124.

The numeral 149 generally designates a portion of the conventionalsignal lead-in cable, each of the two parallel wires 150 of which iselectrically connected to one of the poles 123 or 124 by means of ascrew terminal 125a.

The antenna structures hereinabove described and illustrated in thedrawings are designed to be placed upon a suitable supporting surfacewithout in any way marring such surface even though the antennastructure may be moved thereon.

Where a convenient flat supporting surface may not be available there isprovided a novel supporting stand designed to hold the antenna structureand also designed so that it may be turned or moved as may be necessaryto position it in the most desirable location.

The antenna carrier or support is generally designated S.

The support comprises a base 200 from which rises an extensible standard202 made up of a number of sections designated 203, 204, and 205.

The sections 203 and 204 are tubular and are telescoped one into theother as illustrated while the upper section 205 may be tubular or solidand is telescoped into the tubular section 204 as shown and suitablemeans is provided for securing the several sections in a desiredadjusted relationship. Such securing means may be in the form of wingedset screws 206.

The top end of the upper section 205 has a head 207 mounted thereon andthis head carries a frame structure which is generally designated 208and with which is attached to a central plate 209, supported upon thehead 207 by a screw member 210 which is threaded into the head 207through a suitable opening in the plate 209. By providing the opening inthe plate, designated 207, of the desired size, the plate may turnfreely around the threaded portion of the screw 210 so that the frame208 may be rotated if desired. The screw 210 may be threaded down totighten or secure the frame against turning, if desired.

The antenna supporting frame 208 comprises two side bars 212 which aredisposed in spaced parallel relation and which have end portions 213extending downwardly in convergent relation and fixed in a suitablemanner to the plate 209. Thus these convergent end portions 213 of theframe, extending upwardly and outwardly from the supporting plate asillustrated, maintain the .bars 212 in relatively widely spaced relationand in parallel relation as shown.

Each of the parallel bars 212 is formed midway between its ends with thedownwardly extending or depressed portion 214. These downwardlydepressed or offset portions 214 are of rectangular configuration andare of a suitable width between the side parts 215 thereof, to receivethe base 12 or 112 of the antenna structure 10 and 110, as shown in FIG.7.

When the antenna is in position upon the supporting structure S it willbe insulated from the support by the insulation strips 118 or theinsulation material of the base which strips, or the base, will restupon the portions 214 of the support. It is intended that there shallalways be an air space or insulation between the metal of the support Sand the parts of the antenna structure.

It will be noted also, particularly with respect to the collector bodies139, that the walls of the bodies are of relatively thin metal and thatthe cross-sectional dimensions are small as compared to the longitudinaldimensions and also it will be noted that these bodies are provided witha number of longitudinal grooves or flutes to thereby increase thesurface area for collecting the electrical waves. The provision of acollecting area or surface area of similar extent in a body of smooth orunbroken surface contour would obviously require that thecircumferential dimensions of the body be materially greater. However, alarger size body 139, of smooth form may be used, if desired, withequally good results.

The antenna structure and supporting structure therefor may be used inany part of a building either in a room in which the television receiveris located or in any other location and will pick up weak signals fromgreat distances where conventional dipole antennas or antennas of othertypes would produce weak or ineffective signals.

The antenna structure, because of its novel compact design, in both ofthe disclosed embodiments, is particularly well adapted for use inapartments or in other locations where space may be at a premium. Alsobecause of its novel construction, when so used in apartments or otherbuildings where considerable steel construction is employed, thegloboidal or ellipsoidal form of the collector units 39 and 139,particularly where such units are fluted as shown and described, providelarge signal collecting surface areas for picking up weak signals orsignals which might be reduced in strength because of surroundingmetallic bodies or structures.

In addition to the foregoing the invention is not only effective inpicking up signals which are weakly received by antennas of other typesbut the resulting pictures have been found to have greater clarity orresolution than can be obtained by other antennas receiving the samebroadcast signal.

While the scientific theory whereby these greatly improved results arehad from the antennas herein described and claimed, is not entirelyclear, it is believed that such results flow in great part from theassociation of the round surfaces of the receiving or accumulatingbodies 39 and 139 associated in the novel manner illustrated, with thewire coils, whereby it is believed that a transference of energy byinduction is obtained which amplifies the received signals, and, as aresult of this, the power delivered by the antenna circuit is greaterthan the sum total which would be collected and delivered by individualparts of the antenna structure. The provision of the conventionaldirectional dipole units not only aids the signal collecting ability ofthese units or elements but also adds the other known advantages to behad from the same, by varying the lengths thereof.

Applicant has made extensive tests of his antenna in the forms hereindisclosed in comparison with other types of antenna to be found on themarket and in all instances the comparative tests showed the presentclaimed antenna structure to be equal in receiving capability to suchother antennas and in the majority of cases the tests showed a definiteoutstanding superiority over other antenna structures. In making thesecomparative tests applicants antennas and the ones selected forcomparison were attached to the same television set or receiver and setto the same broadcasting station.

It has been found also by applicant that his antennas here disclosedwhen positioned directionally with respect to distant stations bring insignals strongly from distant stations whereas other types of antennasfailed to bring in or only weakly brought in signals from the samedistant stations. As the antenna structures of the present applicationare located closer or brought closer to the broadcasting station, thenon-directional character of the antenna becomes more pronounced or, inother words, the antenna becomes more non-directional, it being highlyefficient in any position to which it may be oriented with respect tothe broadcasting station.

As this invention may be embodied in several forms without departingfrom the spirit or essential characteristics thereof, the presentembodiment is therefore illustrative and not restrictive, since thescope of the invention is defined by the appended claim rather than bythe description preceding it, and all changes that fall within the metesand bounds of the claim or that form their function as well asconjointly cooperative equivalents are therefore intended to be embracedby the claim.

I claim:

An antenna structure comprising the new combination of a relatively flat.base body of insulation material, a pair of elongate parallel metaltelescoping di-pole arms each secured at one end to a side of the bodyat a point thereon adjacent to the point of securement of the other andextending in opposite directions, a pair of substantially globoidmetallic collector units mounted upon an opposed side of said base bodyin relatively widely spaced relation to one another, an electric currentconducting helical means electrically connecting each of saidsubstantially globoid units with the said one end of one elongatecollector, and means for attaching lead-in wires to the said adjacentends of said elongate collectors.

No references cited.

HERMAN KARL SAALBACH, Primary Examiner.

E. LIEBERMAN, Assistant Examiner.

